The Knicks‘ strategy approaching Thursday’s trade deadline is still unclear — the team has struggled to win games, but is within striking distance of the playoffs. Center Enes Kanter, who has arguably been the team’s best player, hopes the team caters its deadline decisions around a playoff push, Zach Braziller of the New York Post writes.
“I think right now, our only goal is making the playoffs,” Kanter said. “Whatever guys they move or they don’t move, my thing is just focus on the playoffs. Obviously, I like every guy on our team. I would want to play with all the guys for the rest of my season and career because they’re just good locker room guys — besides basketball, they’re really just good guys off the court.”
Players such as Courtney Lee, Kyle O’Quinn, Willy Hernangomez, and even Kanter himself have seen their names floated in trade rumors. However, Kanter, along with Kristaps Porzingis, is the latest player to express a desire for the team to prioritize a playoff push rather than selling assets.
Check out other Atlantic Division notes below:
- Despite sentiments from Knicks players of continuing a run at the postseason, Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders opines that the team should sell at the deadline. Beer writes that while getting Porzingis and Frank Ntilikina playoff experience would be beneficial, it should not come at the cost of acquiring assets for the future.
- Jeremy Lin‘s season-ending ruptured patellar tendon on opening night derailed a lot of optimism for the Nets at the season’s onset. While injuries have limited Lin to just 37 games in his first two seasons in Brooklyn, he’s expected to recover in time for Nets training camp next season, ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk writes.
- The Celtics agreed to a deal with Greg Monroe on Friday but the team may be waiting for a corresponding trade before making the signing official, tweets Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald.